Several Jewish homes in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York had their mezuzahs burned on Monday and Tuesday. A suspect has since been arrested.
The attacks were investigated by the New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Department, The New York Observer reported. Police reported that suspect, Rubin Ubiles, is wanted for setting fire to 11 mezuzahs inside an apartment complex. An additional mezuzah in another doorway in an adjacent building across the street was discovered burned again Tuesday, CNN reported.
A mezuzah an important religious symbol of protection, placed on the right side of door frames, and inside them contain a small scroll inscribed with Torah verses.
"This was a brazen act of religious desecration, and it is something that is shocking to everyone in this community," City Councilman Stephen Levin told CNN affiliate WABC.
The acts of vandalism on Monday occurred at 85 Taylor Street. Twelve doors were reportedly hit between 3:45 and 4:45 on Monday. The incidents happened on Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, as it is known in Israel.
Ubiles' arrest, who has since admitted to his crime, was met with appreciation for the NYPD.
"Acts of hatred against the Jewish community have no place in our city," said Speaker Christine Quinn. "I applaud the NYPD for their swift response to these hate crimes and for apprehending the suspect. We stand united against hate in Williamsburg, across Brooklyn and throughout New York City. I stand with Council Member Levin and members of the community in saying that the city will not tolerate anyone who thinks they can strike fear in the Jewish community."
